Preaching is God’s appointed means of communicating the Gospel. Jesus was a preacher and so was Paul. Preaching has great power, potential, and capacity to bring about change in individuals, institutions, and societies. Preaching is one of the most effective ways of winning people to faith in Jesus Christ. Historically, preaching has become the principal means of leading, teaching, and feeding the church of God.

We are living in a day of the rise of motivational speakers. Instagram is filled with sound bites of inspirational videos. Facebook has trending content from public figures who inspire and motivate us to be better humans. That’s a good thing but preaching is more than a motivational speech. We are called to “go to all the world and preach the gospel” Mark 16:15 not just to inspire people to do better or motivate them to feel better. Here are the 14 differences between motivational speaking and biblical preaching:

1. Motivational preacher tends to be man-centered and people-pleasing, preaching is Christ-centered and God-honoring.

2. Motivational preacher requires charisma, preaching requires anointing of the Holy Spirit.

3. Motivational preacher influences emotions in the direction of self-actualization, preaching influences the soul in the direction of godliness.

4. Preaching is about the cross and the kingdom of God, motivational speaking is about our works and our life.

5. Preaching proclaims the Gospel message of Christ’s death and resurrection for our salvation. Motivational preacher might tag on “the sinner’s prayer” at the end of a “how-to” message.

6. Preaching produces a holy awe of God and a deep respect for His Word. Motivational preaching tends to be light, fun, humorous, and entertaining.

7. It’s “showtime” when the motivational speaker steps to the podium. It’s “flow time” when the preacher steps forward.

8. Preaching freely discusses heaven, hell, and the immortality of the soul, motivational speaking never addresses hell….and addresses hustle, getting happy and reaching your goals.

9. Preacher is salt, motivational speaker is sugar. When people listen to God’s word they want more of God. When people listen to more motivational talks they want more of the motivational speaker.

10. Preacher presents God as a goal, motivational speaker offers God as means to reach the goals of people.

11. Preaching the gospel brings heart transformation, mere motivational speeches bring behavior modification.

12. Preaching is an act of impartation, motivational speaking is simply inspiration.

13. Preacher works more on his soul than his sermon, motivational speaker works more on his speech than his spirit.

14. Preacher feeds on the Bible, motivational speaker will only read the Bible to find a sermon.

In order to be used by the Lord to preach the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit, we must pay attention to our spiritual life more than to the quality of our sermons. This is why St. Paul told Timothy, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16) Notice that his “life” was highlighted even before his “doctrine.” It is easier to present messages that are doctrinally correct than it is to live a holy life, but both are necessary in the life of a pastor and preacher. If a minister is living “in the flesh” by intentionally feeding his sinful nature, his message will not be saturated and dripping with the grace of God and a Spirit-wrought love for the hearers. You don’t need to walk in the Holy Spirit to be a motivational speaker, but you can’t be a preacher of the gospel without living in the Spirit.

None I prefer!

I don’t really like people who talk to motivate, cos things are easier said than done.

I prefer someone whose life motivates. Someone who lives by practical examples, not mouth seller.

People would prefer a motivational speaker

Motivational speaker of course. Enough of all these recycled sermons. I like a motivational speaker like Les Brown, his life experience would motivate anyone that listen to him. He will tell you 'it won't be easy in fact, it can never be easy but you have to do it.'

Followers of PST CHRIS & BISHOP T.D JAKES can understand this post
i love em so much, listen to them energises my weak bone. they make life looks simple by words and motivating
they makes u understand that dreams and the impossibles are achieveable
"u can cant be a poor of a rich GOD"
"A Christian and poverty have no communion, dont make it a bed rock"
"in life start early, wake up early, go to work or business early-pst chris"
"i am the light of the world therefore i'm piercing through darkness"
"i am a spirit man in motion" etc
MOTIVATIONAL PREACHER THINK BEYOND BOX

Amotolongbo:
None I prefer!

I don’t really like people who talk to motivate, cos things are easier said than done.

I prefer someone whose life motivates. Someone who lives by practical examples, not mouth seller.

...thier life also is a lot of motivation, it a lot of courage and storm for man to stand up for that task. U think they never went through many thorns of life...u think even at their success spot they dont have challenges anymore
they stil make mistakes, only a dead man is free from the troubles of this world.
i respect your view towards them. They are eagles that get hurt and redocarates theirself so as to lead ways for others.

[i][/i]

Ugaboy:
...thier life also is a lot of motivation, it a lot of courage and storm for man to stand up for that task. U think they never went through many thorns of life...u think even at their success spot they dont have challenges anymore
they stil make mistakes, only a dead man is free from the troubles of this world.
i respect your view towards them. They are eagles that get hurt and redocarates theirself so as to lead ways for others.

hmmm

TheSourcerer:
People would prefer a motivational speaker

yes

Jesus Christ was not a preacher... He was a message of a kind delivered to men and His mission (yes, the message had a mission enclosed) was to deliver that message (Himself) and that is what He accomplished in His time on earth. He was a teacher with a message and that message was He, the New Covenant that was promised to us all.

The preachers you know of were sent to preach (not teach) the original message of Jesus Christ, the gospel of the Kingdom of God...Jesus Christ is the only message they were meant to preach to the world.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of preachers deviated from the preaching of that one message and instead made themselves into teachers and motivational speakers, something Christ warned them against. As long as they teach the doctrines and traditions of men and not the message that is Jesus Christ, they ought to be shunned.

Kobojunkie:
Jesus Christ was not a preacher... He was a message of a kind delivered to men and His mission (yes, the message had a mission enclosed) was to deliver that message (Himself) and that is what He accomplished in His time on earth. He was a teacher with a message and that message was He, the New Covenant that was promised to us all.

The preachers you know of were sent to preach (not teach) the original message of Jesus Christ, the gospel of the Kingdom of God...Jesus Christ is the only message they were meant to preach to the world.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of preachers deviated from the preaching of that one message and instead made themselves into teachers and motivational speakers, something Christ warned them against. As long as they teach the doctrines and traditions of men and not the message that is Jesus Christ, they ought to be shunned.

Thank you for this great piece

Kobojunkie:
Jesus Christ was not a preacher... He was a message of a kind delivered to men and His mission (yes, the message had a mission enclosed) was to deliver that message (Himself) and that is what He accomplished in His time on earth. He was a teacher with a message and that message was He, the New Covenant that was promised to us all.

The preachers you know of were sent to preach (not teach) the original message of Jesus Christ, the gospel of the Kingdom of God...Jesus Christ is the only message they were meant to preach to the world.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of preachers deviated from the preaching of that one message and instead made themselves into teachers and motivational speakers, something Christ warned them against. As long as they teach the doctrines and traditions of men and not the message that is Jesus Christ, they ought to be shunned.

Why do certain people hate you on NL?

A sound biblical preacher anyday, anytime. It is the word of God that brings life and life in abundance here on earth and for eternity.

II Timothy 3:1‭-‬7 NKJV
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Acehart:

Why do certain people hate you on NL?

I am not a mind-reader !